Holding and centering apparatus.



R. c ROBINSON. HOLDING AND GENTERING APPARATUS.- APPLICATION FILEDAPB.1,1910.

981,117. Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

, I 724 H 1" i F \J 210 e k5 k 1'54, 1 F135 Wi-rNEssEs. P INVENTEIF-l.WfiW. 0 MW N a /MWM A'TII'EI FIN EY 'tl'NITED STATES PATIENT ()FFIQE.

RUPERT C. ROBINSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WALTER A.

BURDICK, 0F PROVIDENCE, RI'IODE ISLAND.

HOLDING AND OENTERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 10, 1911.

Application filed April 1, 1910. Serial No. 552,786.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUPERT C. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holding andCentering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for supporting and centering oneconstituent member of a structure relatively to another.

The general objects of my invention are to centrally locate and supportthe post of a button or other article relatively to its base or shoe forsoldering purposes; to effect this end in a structure adapted for usefor either headed or non-headed posts; to provide a device having acapacity for simultaneously centering a plurality of members; and toattain the enumerated purposes in a simple, inexpensive, and easilyoperable device.

My invention consists therefore in the means and mechanism for producingthe re sults above specified substantially as hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of myinvention in its approved form, Fig. 2, a plan of the same, with a partbroken away, Figs. 3 and 4, outer and inner end views respectively ofthe same, Fig. 5, a plan view of a modified form of my apparatus withparts broken away, Fig. 6, a plan of the pivoted ends of the top arms,Fig. 7 a perspective view of a button.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

My apparatus in the form illustrated, consists essentially of a base Awith upturned ends constituting outer and inner end supports B and Cprovided respectively with central vertical slots 6 and o. Fixed in anyconvenient manner to the base is a strip of asbestos D in whose upperface are fixed retaining pins d, d, (Z disposed in semi-circular groupsof three, arranged in alinement longitudinally of the base.

Mounted upon the supports B, C, is an auxiliary frame. In the presentinstance the frame rests in the slots 6, 0 and consists of a flat oblongbar E provided with a series of central longitudinally alined holes 0.In the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4:

inclusive the bar E is centrally split lengthwise as at e to form twoarms or wings c c with offset overlapping end portions 6 a through whichpasses a vertical pivot pin F provided with upper and lower heads f andf. Surrounding the pin F and resting upon the end portions 6 e is aspacing sleeve G. Immediately above the bar E is a similar bar H withcentral holes h in vertical alinement with the several holes 6, and itis centrally split as at h to form arms if if, whose overlapping ofisetends ]L3 k are also loosely traversed by the pin F, and rest upon thetop of sleeve G. The ends k k are provided with lateral shoulders 72,72, adapted to abut against the outer face of the support G. Theopposite ends are provided with shoulders if abutting against the outerend of the support B. Upon the under faces of the outer portions of thearms are downwardly directed spacing pins I which contact with the arms9 6 Each set of openings 0 and it is concentric with the center of acircle of which its corresponding group of centering pins d, 62, (Z is apart; so that an article inserted in one of the groups of pins or otherretaining means has its center located in aline ment with an articlelocated in the corresponding holes 6 7t.

To impart a downward pressure upon the vertical members during thefusing of the solder the following devlce is employed. An upturned arm Jupon the side of the sleeve G has in its free end a pintle j to which ispivoted the end of a flat bar K, which may be flexible, provided with aseries of central longitudinally disposed holes 76, each in verticalalinement with one of the holes 0 and it. Mounted upon the bar K are aseries of bearing members L, each comprising a shank Z which slides in ahole 74, a head Z upon its upper end, and a heavy preferably convex headZ upon its lower end. The bar K in normal position registers in theslots Z) and 0. In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form of auxiliary orremovable frame which I prefer to employ when the vertical members to besoldered have no heads or enlarged upper portions. In this form the barsE and H are not longitudinally sectioned.

The operation of the apparatus is described in conjunction with theconstituent parts of" a collar button, namely with the shoe N, post 0,and head P. Theshoes N are placed upon the asbestos face of the basewithin their several groups of centering pins (Z, d, d with unfusedsolder upon the center of the upper or convex faces of the former. Theposts 0 are next inserted in the holes 0 and h which operation centersthe posts relatively tothe shoes, and in contact with the solder uponthe latter. The bar K which has meanwhile been elevated as shown inbroken lines in Fig. l, is then brought into horizontal position,allowing the heads Z of the bearing members to rest upon the tops of theposts 0 or of the heads P, according as the buttons are headless orheaded. In Fig. 1 three headless posts are shown in conjunction withfour headed posts. Heat is then applied to the button parts adjacent thesolder which fuses the latter. During the fusing operation it isdesirable that the parts being soldered should be pressed into contactwith each other, and this end is attained through the weight of thebearing members L. hen the bar K is flexible the members L may be fixedupon-the bar, but with less satisfactory results. By making the bearingmembers vertically slidable it is possible to simultaneously pressmembers of different heights, as shown in Fig. 1. The convex faces ofthe heads Z assist in securing certain contact with the article to bedepressed.

After the soldering operation the auxiliary frame is manually removedfrom the supporting frame, and the arms of the members E and H are thendistended to the positions assumed bythe arms 71 he indicated in brokenlines in Fig. 2, whereupon the assembled soldered buttons are released.Obviously when headless posts are operated upon, they are releasedsimply by gravity when the frame is removed.

What I claim is,

'1. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a baseand supports, of a centering device upon the base for the articles to besoldered, and a laterally separable frame in the supports provided witha hole in vertical alinement with the centering device and means forbearing upon the articles to be soldered.

2. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a'baseand supports, of a centering device upon the base for the articles to besoldered, a laterally separable frame slidably mounted in the supportsprovided with a hole in vertical alinement with the centering device'andmeans for bearing upon the articles to be soldered.

3. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a base,of supports upon the base provided with vertical slots, centeringdevices arranged upon the base between the supports, .and an independentframe in the slots provided with openings in vertical alinement with thecentering devices.

4. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a base,and upright supports upon the base, of a centering device comprising aplurality of pins arranged in a semi-circle in the base, and a laterallyseparable frame in the supports provided with an opening above the pins.

In an apparatus of the described class,

the combination with a base of end supports upon the base, a strip ofasbestos upon the base between the supports, centering devices in thestrip, and an independent frame removably mounted in the supportsprovided with holes in vertical alinement with the centering devices.

6. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a base,of su )ports upon the base, a series of centering evices also upon thebase, and a frame in the supports above said devices, said framecomprising a plurality of superimposed plates, each provided with aseries of holes in vertical alinement with each other and with thecentering devices.

7 In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a base,of supports upon the base, and a frame upon the supports comprisingsuperimposed guide plates provided with holes in vertical alinement witheach other, and a bearing plate above the guide plates and pivotallyconnected therewith.

8. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a baseand supports thereon, of a frame upon the supports, said framecomprising a plurality of uide plates arranged one above the other andeach plate provided with a series of holes in alinement with holes ofthe other plate, a bearing plate above the guide plates and pivotallyconnected therewith, and bearing members in the bearing plate inalinement with the holes in the guide plates.

9. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a base,of supports upon the base, centering devices upon the base intermediatethe supports, and a frame mounted in the supports above the centeringdevices, said frame comprising guide plates, a bearing plate pivotallyconnected with the guide plates, and bearing members slidably mounted inthe bearing plate.

10. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a base,of supports upon the base, means upon the base intermediate the supportsfor locating a plurality of shoes, means in the supports above the basefor centering posts relatively to the shoes, and means for pressing theposts into contact with the shoes.

11. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a base,of supports upon the base, laterally separable guide plates in thesupports, a bearing plate in the supports above the guide plates,vertically disposed. bearing members slidably mounted in the bearingplate, and heads upon the bearing members.

12. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a baseand supports, of guide plates in the supports above-the base, a bearingplate in the supports above the first mentioned plates provided with aseries of holes, and bearing members, said bearing members comprisingshanks slidable in the holes, heads upon their upper ends, and headsupon their lower ends provided with convex lower faces.

13. In an apparatus of the described class, the combination with a base,of supports RUPERT O. ROBINSON.

lVitnesses lVILLIAM O. STANTON, HoRA'rro E. BELLOWS.

